Should Marijuana Be Legal? You Might Be Surprised At Who Says Yes

I’m sure you guys have heard by now about the controversy surrounding the legalization of marijuana. The question everyone seems to be asking is, “Should marijuana be legal?” Well, this may surprise you, but for the first time in four decades, the majority of Americans agree that weed should be legal.

A survey done by the Pew Research Center found that 52 percent of Americans support legalized pot. To put it in perspective, only 12 percent of Americans supported it back in 1969. Researchers found that support has been rising within every age demographic, but millenials (anyone born after 1980, so us basically) are the most supportive. Not surprisingly, older generations aren’t thrilled with the idea of legal weed.

So why are people suddenly more in support of marijuana being legal? It’s probably because a lot more people are smoking up – seriously. 48 percent of Americans say they’ve tried marijuana, while only 38 percent admitted to trying it a ten years ago.

More statistics for you: only 32 percent of people say they think smoking weed is morally wrong, which according to researchers, is an 18 percent point drop since 2006. 72 percent of people also seem to think that smoking weed isn’t as bad as the money spent trying to enforce marijuana laws. Democrats are also more like to say marijuana should be legal over Republicans.

But don’t get too excited – this doesn’t mean we should expect weed to be legal all over any time soon. In the United States, marijuana is only legal in Colorado and Washington (and is legal for medical reasons in a few other states). Despite the growing support for the legalization of weed, it’s going to take a long time for until it becomes legal everywhere.

There are a lot of people who are still unsure about whether or not the pros outweigh the cons. I’m constantly reading studies about researchers debating whether smoking weed leads to smoking cigarettes and there are always reports about how pot can make you dumb. But at the same time, there are also studies that say that drinking alcohol is more dangerous for teens than smoking weed.

So, should marijuana be legal? I want to know what you guys think, so tell me in the comments if you support the legalization of weed or not – and why!

It is an ideal whose time has come. Think of the money that could be used to reduce the deficit, by taxing this product. Think of how police could be working on real crimes. Think of how many people that are in jail would not need to be in jail. Legalize it now!

Kelsey

Even though I don’t do any drugs, I don’t see the problem in it. You’d think drinking would be illegal with all the drunk drivers going around killing or really injuring people. But that’s how messed up the world is. Regardless if it was legal or not, I still wouldn’t do it, but that’s for others to choose.

Vanessa

kelsey, I agree. I personally don’t smoke pot ( the smell makes me sick) but I don’t see why it should be illegal so i voted for its legalization in the last election. Theres a LOT of money circulating around pot due to its increasing popularity so it’d be good for the economy but also….if cigarrettes are legal why shouldnt pot be? pot is natural and isnt full of poisons and toxins like cigarrettes are.

Poppy

Honestly, I think yes. I don’t smoke myself but I don’t think marijuana is as bad as people say it is, and yes, I’ve done my research. My mother also works in the medical field and I’ve realized a few things about marijuana that isn’t necessarily known to the public. It’s a natural cure for many diseases like AIDS and certain types of cancer. It can help with muscle aches and depression and those are only the ones off the top of my head. Yes it can be dangerous and addictive in high amounts but so can anything. Coffee is very addictive and has many dangerous aspects to it as well as good ones (it’s good for asthma). The stem of marijuana is used in many milks because of the health benefits. Think about how many people’s lives could be saved if it wasn’t so hard to receive. And something to think about: Sugar, one of the most addictive substances that exists and is in EVERYTHING, used to be illegal before they could tax it.

It shall be done

It’s funny how some people are afraid of the entire country being “stoned” if it is legal. Alcohol is legal and contrary to popular belief not everyone is out there getting drunk and being stupid. The good thing about legalization is that marijuana can be regulated so that other drugs that can cause worse complications such as cocaine and meth, can be sorted out of the bunch. The issue the FDA has is that there is no way to regulate the amount someone has in there system. Tests only show that someone has marijuana in there system but marijuana stays in someones system for quiet a while. With alcohol, a breathalyzer can show how much alcohol is in someones system. It should be legalized and it eventually will be. When the older generation in congress dies out the newer generation will be more open to such.

Kitten

@Gicelle: Smoking pot wouldn’t feed into drug wars if it were legal. If it were legal in the US, people could just grow it here, and there’d be no need to smuggle it/etc.

Emm

okay so i live in Washington. One of the main arguments to get weed legalized was because the government can control it a little more this way. When weed was illegal that didn’t stop people from smoking it. people were getting it from shady drug dealers and other crazy ways. but now its sold in certified stores and is taxed which means the government gets money for it. and we need all the money we can get. Its like how they tried to ban alcohol that one time and it didn’t work at all.

LittleRedWolfGirl

An excess is anything is going to be bad for you, but if done carefully and in moderation, weed is FAR less of a health risk than alcohol, and not even close to cigarettes. I don’t smoke it myself, since I’m not a fan of the smell, but I’m all for legalizing it. It’s not a deadly drug like LSD or meth. It’s a plant.

maya

So is cocaine. And heroin. And opium. And peyote.

Gicelle

I don’t think you should be jailed for it-but there are so many reasons it shouldn’t be encouraged. Psychologically it stunts your growth (My parents have a master and Ph. D. in psychology). It’s bad for your lungs, too much of it can effect your brain, and it also ages your reproductions system (if you’re a woman, it ages eggs, if you’re a man, it mutates sperm, i.e., a sperm with two heads. If you are having sex, you should stop smoking immediately, because if you get pregnant, your baby could have complications). Emotionally, it can make you unmotivated-you just sit around and don’t feel like getting up and doing anything. Why work hard when you can achieve peace with little to no work at all? Every hit fuels the drug wars in Mexico. I have heard a lot of people say that scientists have found mental and physical benefits, such as lower blood pressure, but the risks far out way the benefits. If you don’t believe any of this, look it up.
Medically, if you are in pain, I won’t hold it against you, but I think there needs to be a limit to it-I don’t think it should be used recreationally because I don’t want an American society that’s high:( I don’t want children to have to grow up seeing their parents stonned:( It’s too much of a good thing-and if we’re going to compete on the world state with other countries, whether it be technological development, the Olympics, or the economy, we’re not going to be able to be on top at anything if we’re all stonned.